Ironing-board.



UNITED STATES JOHN E. KALGREN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO J. R. CLARK COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION.

IRONING-IBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. KALGREN, citizen of the United States, resident of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an ironing board of simple, durable construction, and one which will be extremely stable when set up and can be easily and quickly folded into a compact form.

A further object is to provide an ironing board which can be easily and quickly adapted for ironing skirts.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through an ironing board embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the board in its folded position.

In the drawing, 2 represents an ironing board and 3 a cross bar secured thereto at one end and provided with bearings 4: for a comparatively long pair of legs 5 which extend outwardly and downwardly and rest upon the floor in an inclined position when the board is in use, and are connected, preferably near their lower ends, by a cross bar 6. Similar but shorter legs 7 are also mounted on the bearing 4 outside of the legs 5 and when the board is unfolded, are adapted to stand vertically on the floor. A cross bar 8 is secured to the legs 7 and braces 9 are also secured to said legs and bear on the legs 5 when the board is folded. A cross rod 10 is mounted in the legs 5 intermediate to the ends thereof and forms a bearing for brace bars 11 which are adapted to swing on the rod 10 and project upwardly over the legs 5 and have their upper ends connected by a rod 12. These brace bars 11 form the support for the ironing board and hold it in a horizontal position when in use. The underside of the ironing board is provided with blocks 13 and 14 having sockets 15 therein to receive the rod 12 which connects the upper ends of the brace bars 11. In the full line position, the brace bars 11 are shown as generally used in ironing, while in the dotted line position the legs are shown swung inwardly under the board to provide clearance beneath its outer end and adapt it for use in ironing skirts.

For locking the legs in their open, supporting position I prefer to provide a brace 16, V shaped, substantially, having the ends of its arms mounted on the cross bar 10 and provided with a narrow loop 17 at the intersection of the arms with one another. A bar 18, having a bend at 19 near one end, is pivoted in the loop between the legs 16 and is also pivoted between ears 20 that are secured to the cross bar 8. The brace 16 and the bar 18 form, in effect, a toggle connection between the rod 10 and the cross bar 8. when the loop 17 and pivot 19 swing below the dead center line joining pivots 10 and 20, the loop will contact with the bar 18 and the joint will be straightened and locked temporarily, and the legs will be readily held in their open, supporting position.

Whenever desired, the board can be swung upwardly and the brace bars 11 swung from one supporting block to the other, according to the character of the garment it is desired to iron. If it is desired to iron a skirt, the brace bars 11 may be swung from engagement with the block 18 into engagement with the block 14, thereby providing an unobstructed space beneath the plate to allow it to be inserted into the skirt.

To break the toggle joint and allow the folding of the legs, it is only necessary to press upwardly on the brace 16 and raise the looped end thereof out of engagement with the bar 18, whereupon the bar can be swung inwardly between the arms of the brace 16 to allow the supporting legs to be folded inwardly upon one another to close the board.

This board will be extremely rigid and stable when unfolded and at the same time is of comparatively economical construction.

I claim as my invention:

1. An ironing board comprising a top, upright and inclined legs pivotally connected therewith, brace bars carried by said inclined legs and having a bearing on'said top for supporting it in a horizontal position, a V-shaped brace having its arms mounted at one end on said inclined legs and provided with a loop intermediate to said arms and a bar having one end pivoted in said loop and pivotally connected at its bar forming a toggle connection between said legs, the toggle becoming straightened when the looped end of said V-shaped brace is swung below the dead center line, joining the pivotal connections of said brace and bar with the leg sections.

2. An ironing board comprising a top plate, having a cross bar secured to the 1m pivoted in said loop and pivotally connected at its opposite end with the lower portion of the other of said leg sections, said V- shaped toggle brace and said bar forming a toggle connection between said legs, the toggle becoming straightened when the looped end of said V-shaped toggle brace and the pivotal connection carried thereby is swung below the dead center line joining the pivotal connections of said toggle brace and toggle bar with the leg sections.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th dav of October 1914.

JOHN E. KALGREN. Witnesses:

GENEVIEVE E. SoRENsEN, EDWARD A. PAUL. 

